Watched the highlights on Sky Sports. After McGovern cock-up for their 2nd goal he kept us in the match with two excellent saves. Plenty of endeavour from both teams which made for good viewing. Concerned about our lax defense but this was a game to savour for both sets of fans. Thought Wycombe were very energetic and played well for a mid-table League 1 outfit. Interested to see if Rhodes gets back to his best form of yesteryear but with Pukki doing so well he may not get much of a chance. Basil looks well and truly stuffed. The stand-off between him and DF seems destined to be prolonged. The Radio Norfolk crew seemed convinced he will not start this season unless there are major problems with Rhodes, Pukki and Srbeny.
I wonder if we'll be able to get a transfer fee for Basil, as DF has decided he won't even be in the first team squad.
Who'd pay money for him? Nobody has yet (well, except us of course ) Interesting to see where Alex Neil's Preston are just now. A one-season wonder?
Just seen this - 'The fulcrum was 18-year-old Middleton, who was a rapid and effervescent menace to the Ayr defence on his first start for the club. The teenager had a hand in all four goals, first winning the corner from which Katic opened the scoring, then darting off his wing to gather Andy Halliday's beautiful lofted pass and slam past Ross Doohan. Middleton's delivery found Morelos in the six-yard box, and the Colombian showed great power to spin Mike Rose and finish. The Ayr defender was beaten again by Middleton, who made it 4-0 with an emphatic finish. The winger might have completed a treble late in the game, but saw his shot hit the side netting.' I wish him well - just sad that DF couldn't persuade him to stay at CR!!!
I wish him well - just sad that DF couldn't persuade him to stay at CR!!! Best get used to some of our academy plays not making it to the first team, but turning it on for other teams. After all that's how the academy system works. You identify good younger players and either bring them on for your first team or move them on to over teams. It seems to me that for a few years now we are identifying / signing the right young players and have the right coaching staff working with them. Our academy looks like it has been and is working as it should and in DF we have a manager that is willing to bring them into the first team. Whilst it's a shame Middleton didn't want to stay, we have plenty of young plays that do and like working with DF.
IMO, whilst losing Middleton was a massive loss, I also feel that he will lose out too. OK, he may well become a regular starter for 'Gers under SG, but the standard of the opponents in the SPL is probably akin to League 1 south of the border. It's interesting to think that Huckerby was his coach for several years and he has now been sacked. #onetowatch
To be fair though, had he of stayed, he would probably be out on loan to one of those lge one standard SPL outfits or an actual lge 1 team. For what ever reason he felt he should move, i can only guess that he was not fancied as being as ready as he and Rangers thought. As for Hucks, was he too much of a individualistic coach as he was as a player? Did he have a wide enough coaching skill set? Who knows, most likely Farke just wanted his own team, who know how he wants his youff to develop and play. Bah!
Unfortunately for us, Rangers are quite a big draw, and it's a much greater platform to get your talent noticed. As the General says, he could have played the same quality and quantity of football on loan at Swindon, but it's much harder to get noticed there. At Rangers, he will have opportunities to shine in Derby games and European fixtures. A shame to lose him, but fair play to the young man for taking charge of his career, and trying to make it work. I'm sure at Rangers you could very easily get swallowed up into their youth teams if you don't stand out, so it's a credit to him that he's progressed so well. I can't criticise him for that, even if it has cost NCFC somewhat. Hopefully the club will be proven correct in putting Cantwell ahead of him in the pecking order.
Cracking post DH and I can see that with the players we had at the time and with Hernandez already signed, his opportunities for making it even into the first team squad were very slight and he has already been noticed both in Scotland and Europe, so hat's off to him for working hard and making the breakthrough!!!
I saw a couple of U23 games with JM fan and Middleton scored in both games great little player. We have decent wingers and he is playing in Europe at 18 and will no doubt be drafted into the Scotland squad . Good luck to him .
He was part of the Under 19 Scotland squad last year and I'm sure he'll be in their senior squad in the next year or two.
